WHEN Mick Rawlings needed help setting up a football team, he knew immediately who to turn to – former Oxford United skipper Ron Atkinson.

Young Mick was an Oxford Mail paper boy at Headington from 1962 to 1966 and among his customers in Sandfield Road was ‘Big Ron’. He got an apple, orange and 2s 6d as a Christmas bonus from the Atkinson household, he recalls.

In 1971, when the newly-formed Headington Labour Club team was preparing for its first game, he arranged a meeting with the former United star, who was then living at Wheatley.

Mr Rawlings tells me: “Our meeting had to be over by 7.30 because he didn’t want to miss Steptoe and Son on TV. But he gave me excellent advice on what I needed to do.

“The Labour club team was formed as a result of Barton Imperials’ reserve side being disbanded.

“Some of the reserve team players decided to take their chance to get into the Imperials’ first side, but the majority of us felt we were excess to requirements so we decided to form our own team.

“Fortunately, the then chairman of Headington Labour Club, Jimmy Gaul, being a keen football fan, offered to help.”

A temporary ground was found at Risinghurst and after a few rushed training sessions and invaluable advice from Atkinson and John Byles senior, of the Oxfordshire Football Association, the team played its first match in the Oxford Sunday League Division 5 on Sunday, August 15, 1971.

It wasn’t a dream start – they were trounced 10-2 by A C Neilsen. But soon the players started to blend and after a hard-fought 3-3 draw with Barton Imperials, a return match against A C Neilsen ended in a 3-1 win for the Labour club.

Mr Rawlings, whose father, also Mick, was the team’s manager and linesman, writes: “Although the team never gained promotion through winning a league title, we were promoted as runners-up.

“During the seven seasons I ran the club, the turnover of players was quite low, a total of about 20 players, but they were a good, reliable squad to run and play alongside.

“Because most of the team played on Saturdays as well as Sundays, our training sessions were few and far between, but after the first early matches, we all showed commitment and were quite a force.

“During my seven years of running the team, we came up against some good quality opposition in the league and cup competitions, but we did not fear any of them and always gave a good account of ourselves, picking up some good results over the years.”

Mr Rawlings stepped down at the end of the 1977-8 season when a new manager/trainer was appointed, and ended his playing career with Bladon on Saturdays and Deans Ham on Sundays.

In 1986, the Headington Labour Club team of the 1970s came together for a one-off friendly in aid of two young brothers suffering from muscular dystrophy.

The players came from all over the country and one travelled from Germany to play.

Mr Rawlings, who lives at Middle Barton, has fond memories of his time with the team.

“We were never going to be the best team in the league, but the opposition always knew they were in for a good, hard, honest game of football.”

Any memories of Headington Labour Club football team to share with readers? Write and let me know.